Tales Of Mortals

By XreoOZ

Copyright is protected by law. I do not permit my work to be used or adapted in any form without my permission.

This novel contains elements that may be disturbing and sensitive, including scenes of violence and sensitive language. The content of this novel is intended for readers aged 13 and above.

About The Novel:

It is a novel that takes you into the world of fantasy adventure. Centered around a protagonist named Kaelan, an ordinary child who was nearly killed and saved by a party, which he will later join and found a new family.

This novel is a manifestation of the author's idealism, who enjoys medieval warfare. It brings forth adventurous actions and battles, sprinkled with touches of romance among the characters and comedy within the story.

If you share the same interests as I do, then this novel is one of them!

Note : This novel is poorly translated. If you want to read more, you could go to wattpad, my nickname is "XreoOZ"

About the Author:

I am a college student. Since I was young, my hobby has been drawing, so what does that have to do with this novel? Let me explain. Drawing has always been a challenge for me. So, I decided to create a novel that consists of text only.

But how naive I was!? Writing is just as challenging as drawing. ARRGHH, I often struggle to convey what's in my head. Well... Even so, I trying my best.

The sound of fire roared, rapidly engulfing the village. Thick smoke blanketed the countryside, houses crumbled and burned one by one. Desperate screams echoed, merging with the roar.

My heart raced, almost bursting from my chest. I kept running without pause. Without any clear reason, I glanced back, and what I saw there froze me in place.

A little girl stood there in fear.

Before long, a marauder emerged from the thick smoke.

Firm and rough strides, a large and formidable face. He carried a gleaming axe in his right hand, illuminated by the flames devouring the village, and a round shield in his left hand.

The fate of that little girl seemed trapped in the grasp of that marauder.

My body moved on its own, grabbing anything around me and hurling it at the marauder's face, forcing him to shield himself with his shield.

I rushed towards the girl when there was an opportunity, picked her up, and ran away.

To Artelo City, I had to get there to deliver a message to the ruler.

Looking around while running, I decided to head towards the forest.

Who would have thought? The marauders were following us. When I thought we had escaped them, suddenly they were behind us again and again. No matter how fast I ran, they always found our trail.

I heard the pounding of my heart, my legs felt weak and heavy, my breath was labored, keeping pace with my slowing steps.

I stopped, took a deep breath to calm myself. There was only one choice that came to mind at this moment.

I gently patted the girl's back as I set her down.

"What's your name?" I asked. Her parents were probably killed by the marauders.

"Runa," she replied softly.

I patted her head and said, "That's a beautiful name, Runa. I'm Kaelan."

"Runa, here's the thing. There's a city called Artelo to the south; try to run and ask for their help, okay?" I said, pointing in the direction I meant.

Not that I didn't want to save myself, but it was pointless to keep running. The marauders would catch up with us sooner or later.

Runa shook her head. "I want to stay with you!" Tears began to well up in her eyes as she held onto my hand tightly.

I understood that Runa was just an innocent and naive little child. She hadn't fully grasped the dangerous situation we were in right now.

"Listen to me, Runa," I said seriously.

I had to convince her, no matter what. "I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

Runa still looked hesitant.

"In that case, pinky promise?" I offered.

After accepting the gesture, she began to run.

Not far from here, the marauders surprised her.

Runa backed away slowly, step by step, until she slipped and fell.

New trouble emerged as another marauder appeared from behind us.

I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her back to my side.

"Get up, Runa!" I yelled.

I felt a heavy burden that words couldn't describe.

How could I save Runa? My mind kept circling back to the same question. "What should I do?" Fear seemed to have permeated every corner of my thoughts.

I tried to clear my mind, for I had to remain strong. They, the marauders with their menacing smiles, continued to approach us. Like predators circling their prey, closing in from both sides.

The circle of death was tightening, and a feeling of dread seeped into every breath.

"Runa, stay behind me," I said. I tried to stand tall in front of her as her protector.

The marauders laughed at me as if it were a sign of my impending death, while the other marauder spoke in a language I couldn't understand at all.

The words he uttered sounded harsh and heavy. "Þú getur ekki flúið aftur!" The phrase echoed in my ears.

I didn't need to understand what they were saying; from their expressions, I understood that they were really going to torture me to death.

Amidst this situation, I spoke to Runa again. I hoped the marauders didn't understand what I was saying.

"Runa, once again, just one more time... Listen to me carefully, when I attack them, run as fast as you can, try to avoid them, and then go south," I said firmly.

I briefly noticed Runa's injured leg, probably from slipping earlier.

"Although it hurts, when you start running, don't stop. Do you understand? Please, Runa, stay strong!" I continued firmly.

Runa tried to understand what I had just said, then nodded in understanding.

Slowly, I determined the right moment to launch the plan.

Now, Runa's safety depended on me, and I had to give it my all. Even though my whole body was trembling violently and my lips were parched.

I grabbed some soil and threw it towards the marauders. They were momentarily surprised, giving Runa a chance to run.

"Now, Runa! Run!" I shouted.

I knew I couldn't protect her forever; now was the time for her to run and save herself.

Time seemed to slow down as I watched Runa start running, evading the two marauders, and the marauders trying to stop her.

I charged at them, diverting their attention towards me.

Look at their massive muscles and their blood-stained axes; I had no chance of winning.

Even so, hope vanished when a powerful kick struck my abdomen, causing me to collapse in pain.

They mocked me with cynical laughter, torturing me with every kick they delivered to my body.

I felt nauseous and dizzy beyond description. My body weakened, and in the end, I couldn't stand anymore; I fell to the ground.

Behind the facade of toughness that I always displayed, my heart wasn't as strong as it seemed. It was just a lie to cover up something I didn't want to face.

It felt like my body couldn't move anymore.

I didn't want to die; please, someone help me.

Faintly, I heard the sound of someone running. Defying the two marauders.

But I didn't care anymore about what happened next. The marauders might already be dead, but to me, it no longer mattered.

The longer it went on, the more the world around me grew silent. The sounds that usually filled this life seemed to disappear suddenly. Everything felt dimmer, like a fading illusion.

My heavy eyelids slowly closed, as if refusing to look further ahead.

Now, I just wanted to release myself from the fatigue and weariness that had burdened me for so long.

Then, like a flash of light in the darkness, like an illusion, my parents' faces appeared before me. "Ah, Mother, Father... I can see your faces so clearly," I murmured weakly. "I miss you both so much; there are so many things I wanted to tell you."

"If only I were given a chance once more. I would strive to become better, for myself and for others. Just as you always taught me, then return to you with a more amazing story. But that's not possible, is it?"

* * * Gunnar's POV

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Deep within the forest, quite far from the city.

The heavy footsteps of a monster were growing closer rapidly, a sign of impending danger approaching us.

Draven looked at me and warned, "Gunnar, behind you!" Draven shouted to me.

It didn't take long before the monster appeared, raging and blindly slamming its head into me, sending me flying far from my position.

In the blink of an eye, I tried to get up from my fall.

"Heal me, Elara!" I commanded Elara.

Elara, who was a sorceress, quickly responded to my command. From a distance, she directed both of her hands towards me while uttering an incantation. "Algos apólyson, iôta phére!"

My body instantly felt lighter and healed.

The monster attempted to attack Elara, and I managed to intercept its attack with my zweihander sword, successfully pushing it back.

Now was the time to attack the monster. I stepped forward and launched an attack.

I swung my sword with all my might. Unfortunately, the attack I delivered didn't fully penetrate and got stuck in the outer layer of the monster's shield.

I tried to pull the stuck sword, but because the monster kept moving, I had to leave it as it was.

A few seconds later, I thought of changing our strategy.

"Draven, Elara, get ready!" I said firmly.

"Elara, protect me!" I ordered.

Elara nodded and chanted a protective spell. "Paráschete prostasía!"

A golden protective magic shield emanated from her hands and enveloped my body. The shield spell provided strong protection.

The monster kept its distance before eventually launching another attack on me.

I moved in close and grabbed the monster's right leg, then held it firmly with both hands so it couldn't move as it pleased.

"Draven, attack!" I shouted to Draven, who was our party's main attacker.

Draven swiftly moved from the side of the monster with his slim sword.

The sound of his sword cut through the wind, creating a cutting whistling sound. Draven managed to distract the monster, and before it realized it, his sword strikes had already pierced straight into the inner layer of the monster.

Draven's attacks were accurate and relentless, causing cracks to appear in the thick protective layer of the monster, creating an opening for the next attack.

The monster writhed in pain, trying to withstand Draven's attacks. Its loud cries made our ears ache.

Draven suddenly stopped attacking and covered his ears.

"Draven, don't stop your attacks, keep going!" I urged him.

Draven's relentless attacks further opened the monster's defenses.

At the same time, I said to Elara, "Elara, attack with your magic!" I pressed on.

Elara focused her magical energy, directing her arms towards some large boulders. The boulders trembled and rose, transforming into sharp spear-like points.

The large boulders were then launched one by one, accompanied by Draven's agile movements to avoid being hit.

I was worried about the attack Elara was about to unleash. She could hit me. "Elara, be careful; I don't want to be killed by you!"

Elara then gave a proud smile on her graceful face. Her voice sounded soft but somewhat menacing as she said, "Who do you think you're talking to?"

It was reasonable for her to say that.

Sorcerers were figures always feared, masters of magic were something rare and seldom seen in life. Her presence on the party was a stroke of luck, as most people never had the chance to meet a sorceress.

As the captain, I knew how rare her abilities as a sorceress were. In a population of ten thousand, maybe only one person was born with magical power. They had a connection with magical forces that most people did not possess. With her magical strength, they could control the elements of nature and cast spells.

The boulders Elara summoned were even larger than before, piercing towards the monster as her final attack.

Draven then followed the movement of the boulders that Elara had launched. In an instant, the monster was surrounded by attacks from two directions: Draven's sword strikes and Elara's magical onslaught.

The monster struggled, trying desperately to withstand the attacks we were unleashing. Parts of its body suffered severe injuries from the magical strikes hitting its insides.

A few moments passed, and the monster could no longer fight back. Realizing this, I released my grip and let go of its massive leg.

The monster lay lifelessly on the ground, as if it had lost the life force that had been driving it. Its heavy breathing gradually slowed until it stopped altogether.

A mixture of relief and tension filled me as I observed the monster we had just faced.

"Finally, this monster was tough. What kind of monster is it?" The question slipped from my lips naturally.

In the pauses between heavy breaths, I stretched my tense body. My hands reached for the sword that had been stuck earlier, returning it to its scabbard.

Elara, looking for her comfortable spot to lean against, found a moment's relief from her exhaustion caused by using too much magical energy.

Then Elara answered, giving her assessment. "Draconar, a type of reptile. Their bodies can reach three to ten times the size of a human. The monster we just faced wasn't even the largest of its kind."

Draven remained on guard, standing vigilantly around us. His eyes never strayed from the surroundings, alert to new possibilities.

Hunger gnawed at my thoughts, but I couldn't help but ask, even though I knew this question might sound strange, "Can this monster be eaten?"

Elara gave a direct and firm answer, "Yes, as long as you're willing to face the consequences."

"What a shame, it was hard enough to kill it, but it can't be eaten at all," I sighed.

Elara continued, offering a suggestion. "Draven, skin the monster. Its hide and shield have value; we can sell them. At least, we can make something out of it."

Draven did as Elara suggested.

After Draven finished his task of skinning the monster, time continued to pass, and the sunlight dimmed.

"It won't be long before it's dark; we should camp here," I said calmly. They both nodded in agreement.

"Do your hunting, Draven. You're the most skilled with the bow among us," I directed him.

"Elara, prepare the tent and camping supplies," I continued, giving instructions while handing her my backpack filled with camping gear.

Then, I added, "I'll gather enough firewood for our campfire tonight."

After they received their respective tasks, Draven disappeared into the trees. Elara made sure our resting place was comfortable. Meanwhile, I explored the surroundings to gather firewood for our campfire, ensuring we had enough to last the night.

Until finally, this forest became completely dark.

I returned to the camp, then arranged the firewood neatly so that the fire could blaze. Elara then set fire to the firewood with her fire magic. In an instant, the fire ignited, casting light around the camp.

Not long after, Draven returned to the camp with a few rabbits he had successfully caught. He handed the rabbits to me. Draven looked sleepy and then lay down.

I began to skin the rabbits while making sure that Draven could rest peacefully.

I cleaned the entrails before handing them to Elara. "Please, take these," I said.

Elara accepted the cleaned rabbit meat and its skin from my hand. She began to cut the meat into small pieces for easier cooking, then placed all the ingredients into the pot.

Time passed, and there wasn't much conversation between us. Only the gentle sounds of the campfire crackling and the night breeze accompanied our silence.